A+O - You Ain't Jack

A+O - You Ain't Jack
If the respect of peers is an indication of the quality of a release, then Melbourne duo A+O, AKA Andee Frost and Oohee, should have nothing to worry about. "Take Me" was featured on Juan MacLean's DJ-Kicks mix, while "Misunderstood" was charted by Deetron on RA in May.

You Ain't Jack is deep house, but it's not deep-centric, which works to its benefit. "Take Me" makes use of synth sounds similar to Derrick May's "Nude Photo," but this production is neither dated or nostalgic. The vocal hook instead gives the track a much more spiritual sensibility. The use of a diva for a vocal hook is cheekily contrasted in "What's a Name?" A+O have managed to use an ugly, classroom-style roll call to act as a hilarious and playful dialogue between beat and spoken vocal sample.

Over a syncopated clap, commands of "Quiet down, now quiet down please!" usher in a quick silence, only for the beat to pipe up again like some unruly child. The tinkering of keys adds a wonderful sparkle to the extroverted, hick vocal sample—a perfect balance of glamour and grit. The b-side, "Misunderstood" is maybe the least produced track on the EP and a simple piano-lick builds to varying degrees of prominence via the layering of complementary kick drum, hi-hat and vocal hook. All three add up to an extremely rewarding break with the label's nostalgic disco feel, and a move toward a fresh and unique sound.